Jocelyn’s review of Forged by Malice (Beasts of the Briar, #3) > Likes and Comments

Finally someone who agrees with me about Dayton! I'm so in denial that he's the ONLY prince who isn't mated to her???! But I like your Nightingale/Wrenley theory. I'll probably read the next book solely for the Caspian storyline but if it really seems like Dayton has a different mate I honestly don't think I can read more

@madison I went back and read the scenes that included Wrenley and the Nightingale, and I’m even more convinced about this. They both have short dark hair, she tells Caspian that she has multiple plans in the works, Caspian mentions how she can show a range of emotions on command, and Wrenley only wakes up Dayton *after* Ezryn went on his rampage. But still, this seems to violate a principle expectation of why choose romance- you can add characters to the harem, but you can’t subtract.

I firmly believe that Wrenley is the nightingale or atleast not who she says she is. She has a different story about her father every time she mentions him. Also, Rosie has a bad feeling about her and I think it is more than jealousy. Onto the subject of Dayton and her being his mate. When the nightingale is making potions in her room I'm wondering if she was making something to make her appear as Daytons mate with the will-o'-wisps.

I'm about 52% of the way done and am SOOOO disappointed that Dayton is *allegedly* not Rosalina's mate. I'm going to stay firmly planted in denial until proven otherwise.
ALSO! I had the same thought of Wrenley being the Nightingale AND I immediately had a bad feeling about her when Rose went over to talk to her at the jubilee and she was kind of standoffish but as soon as Dayton came around she turned all breathy. Like. You're laying it on kinda thick, my dude.
I'm curious to see where this all goes

i think wrenley is the nightingale but also that the nightingale is her sister because the underworld queen isn’t her real mom

Lola wrote: "Thank you so much for this review, I was on the fence about whether ir not to read book 3 after reading other implied reviews about Dayton but none were this candid!
I was mostly tuned in for this ..."

Yeah, it was quite the gut punch. And I think this is where have 7 books is working against the author. If this has been introduced and resolved in the same book, but I would trust the direction more. But to introduce it at the end of the book as part of the cliffhanger creates more uncertainty than I prefer in romance.

These are my exact thoughts. I think 7 books is dragging the series out way too much. It would be a better trilogy, MAYBE four. But 7 is too much. I feel like so many things have been glaringly obvious that the characters just ignore (Rosie being the queens daughter, I think the nightingale & wren are the same person, the Kel/Cassian bargain, etc). And now with Day "supposedly" not being Rosie's mate? BULLSHIT. I'm furious with this book.

Wait this series is slated for 7 books!? How? 😑

I love why choose books, but the second I saw ' 7 books' I got so dissapointed. Why do authors think that just because there are more than one mmc that it automatically needs to be 4+ books in a series? I don't understand how there is enough story for 7 books when everything feels like it could be wrapped in 4? I'm only 1/4into the thirs book and I'm already ready to put this down and never read it again.

I threw my kindle when I read the Dayton and new mate thing. I was not impressed. I will read the next one to see where they are headed. But I’m not sure I like or approve that he is mated to another.

Wrenley somehow manipulated the will-o-wisp, she's not his damn mate.

100% agree that Wren is Nightingale and Rose’s sister. I think when she was talking to Cas she said “she can’t have him too”. What if she meant Rose can’t have Dayton?

I am so upset about Day. I am so invested in this story, but this is boardering on emotional torture. I'm not sure I can last another book where characters have very obvious strong feeling for one another, but since they are supposedly not mates, we have to suffer through the internal monologue of how hurt and disappointed they'll be when they find someone else.

I know we should expect twists and turns in a series, but I guess I've found my limit.

Vanessa wrote: "I love why choose books, but the second I saw ' 7 books' I got so dissapointed. Why do authors think that just because there are more than one mmc that it automatically needs to be 4+ books in a se..."

I agree. I think this partly the influence of the KU business model. Authors are incentivized to write more pages, even if the story could be told in less. And while I can't fault the hustle, it does make me wary of continuing this series.

Kayla wrote: "I am so upset about Day. I am so invested in this story, but this is boardering on emotional torture. I'm not sure I can last another book where characters have very obvious strong feeling for one ..."

OMG, your point about "suffer through the internal monologue of how hurt and disappointed they'll be when they find someone else" is spot on! I can already see this been 100 pages of the next book, with Rose, Farron, and Dayton endlessly obsessing about this internally. Ooof. That makes me even less likely to read the next book.

My theory is Wren/Nightingale are the same person and a potion made her look like Days mate. The mare bonds with Kel, Fare, and Ez didn’t become all consuming until after the princes confronted their past. I think once Day has his time to confront whatever past with his brothers and has a near death experience shortly after is when it’ll snap into place for them

Each prince mates Rosie in their own realm. Wrenley/Nightingale being her sister throws me off a bit. Ez did say she looks like her, but why is it that no one else really mentions the resemblance? Especially Cas, since she's his adoptive sister?

I’m 90% done with Forged and RAN to the comments on it to see if anyone is as annoyed as I am. The Wrenley/Nightingale twist is obvious but interesting but HOW has no one put it together? And how has Farron failed to mention to ANYONE that Cas wants to be human for XYZ reasons? Y’all KNOW he and Day pillow talk, cmon. Also mildly annoyed that it’s taking Rosie SO. FREAKING. LONG. to figure out ANY of her magic.
This just boils down to this book specifically feels like it’s being purposely dragged out and certain characters dumbed down for the sake of dragging this out.
But of course I’ll read the remaining books.

I am thoroughly enjoying the world building. And I didn’t even think that we haven’t been to Summer yet, and that’s why she isn’t mated to Day. I’m a little relieved by that. My poor golden retriever.

Dayton is definitely Rosalina’s mate cuz

a. If he’s not that makes no sense cuz why would she be mated to all of the princes except him

b. Given that the nightingale and Wrenley are the same person (cuz obviously) there’s a scene where she’s making potions and when Cas asks if it’s a love potion she says “love potions don’t exist. But what I made was the next best thing”. So obviously she’s figured out a way to manipulate the wil-o-wisps.

I could definitely see this being an annoying way to drag the plot out since for some reason this series is gonna have 7 books which is wayyyyy too many. Unfortunately I see the rest of the series needing to pull unnecessary stuff like this to fill pages to drag the series out.

I remember Cas starting to call the Nightingale "Wr...." so I thought it was given that she is Wren. The ongoing secrets and mistrust between just about every single character are annoying.

7 books?! Yikes. I've seen why choose authors have a book per mmc, but then the books are usually around the 400pg mark.

Carleigh wrote: "Dayton is definitely Rosalina’s mate cuz

a. If he’s not that makes no sense cuz why would she be mated to all of the princes except him

b. Given that the nightingale and Wrenley are the same pe..."

The more I've thought about it, I agree 100%. I do believe Dayton will be Roselina's mate as well, and possibly Farron's too. And I think my frustration definitely comes from tossing this grenade in the story as a way to prolong the series, and the books themselves. But I'm really not looking forward to a whole book of pining and handwringing while they are in summer. It's just not good storytelling.

I REALLY HATE THE MULTIPLE MATES THING!!!!
If it’s such a sacred bond and not everyone finds their mate how is that Rose gets them all! It’s just dumb.

Well Hannah this is a why choose series so that literally means multiple men, also it’s pretty much obvious that Rose is the missing queen’s daughter so chalk it up to Rose being extremely powerful and worthy of multiple mates. It’s a bit silly to call the books dumb when the whole premise is multiple mates 🤷🏻‍♀️

Wrenley is for sure the nightingale. At one stage in Caspian's pov he is talking to the Nightingale and goes "Wr-wait". I'm holding out hope that the Wrenley mate situation is just one of her plots because there is no way that rose isn't his mate. I'm sure that the only reason the mate bond hasn't happened is because he hasn't accepted the possibility/doesn't think he deserves it.

I also think Wrenley and the Nightingale are the same person!

I feel like this series can still go in so many different ways, which is what makes it exciting! The fact the author was able to draw out this much emotion from people and interest in the story is neat (at least to me).
Wrenley does seem like she's the nightingale, she's also good with potions and could have manipulated the mate bond somehow... but Day also has a dark past he hasn't come to terms with and that seems to be when the other bonds have formed. I have so many questions: Does day become evil since he's the only one that doesn't bond and teams up with the nightingale? Does the little birdy remember her sister? Or is she just some random chick she needs to rid of to please the dark queen? Is Cas a mate? Can he be with that Kels pact in place? Will Wrenley join their little posse? (ew i hope not i dislike her character lol). So many exciting questions!

Jeanne wrote: "I feel like this series can still go in so many different ways, which is what makes it exciting! The fact the author was able to draw out this much emotion from people and interest in the story is ..."

I don't know that I would agree those are all exciting questions for a why choose romance. There are certain expectations, especially when the plot summary says the beautiful bookwork doesn't have to choose. Pulling out one of the main leads from the main romance and making him evil would be a fundamental rejection of the premise, as well as damage the idea of a HEA (which is a requirement for romance).

Ultimately, having thought about this more since finishing this book and reading the comments here, I'm pretty sure I know how this is going to unfold and Dayton will absolutely be Rosalina's mate (and/or Farron's). The blurb the authors posted on social media just proves that the next book is going to be filled so much angst and handwringing about this mate situation before it's resolved, and I'm not interested that. I think this could have been a great four book series. Making into seven set up the fatal flaw for me.

a. if you guys remember the scene where they all put the wil-o-wisps to their hearts, farron’s, dayton’s and ezryn’s bonds were entangled, the reason: they have to yet admit why they were cursed. the bond was only completed AFTER farron and ezryn told rose how their failures (library burned down/mother’s death), which is why the bond did not clicked into place between rose and dayton, he has yet to tell her how his brothers died

b. wren (who is obviously the nightingale) found a way to manipulate the wil-o-wisps to make it seem like dayton is her mate, which only worked because she’s rose’s sister, dayton’s true mate

c. the queen saying that caspian was not cursed because he was always worthy of rose - chef’s kiss!!

Wrenley is SO the Nightingale. Both Ez and Day have said how familiar her eyes were. And its the only part of the Nightingale that they have seen!!
And there many times in which her blue eyes were mentioned

I think Wren is the Nightingale and she’s using the seashell she put on Day’s necklace to fake a mate bond. Especially since in the playlist at the back of the book, Elizabeth and Helen referenced Vanessa from Little Mermaid (who impersonates Ariel to steal Eric using a cursed seashell) in a scene where the Nightingale brews her potions.

Isn’t caspian suppose to be a character from the lion king? I’m not bashing anyone’s kinks here. Though what is a Midas’s scar moment going to happen with Dayton and caspian? Maybe?

There is a scene in the book where Caspian is talking to Nightingale while she is making potions And within one of the containers are will-o-wisps. Caspian asked Nightingale if she is making a love potion and she responds with "love potions don't exist, but I made the next best thing." After this scene, Dayton starts to have doubts about not being bonded and starts to feel a tug towards Wrenley/Nightingale after he saved her from supposedly being attacked by goblins. Another point is in the second book when Rosalina finds Caspian in the woods And sees that he is trying to capture Will-o-wisp. When Rosie asked Caspian, why he needs Will-o-wisp He responds with I need it for my Little Birdy. ALSO not to mention the fact that in the autumn realm there are plants that the will-o-wisp will point their light towards, tricking those wanting to find their mates. There are so many obvious indications that Rosie and Dayton are mates. She's the daughter of the queen so obviously she is very strong and will have multiple mates

Yeah that revelation with Dayton made me want to stop reading the series. Also everything would be so much easier if all of them would just stop talking in riddles and come out and share everything they know with each other???? I can’t take 4 more books of this dragged out nonsense

I also believe that Wrenley is the Nightingale. There is also an actual bird called the Northern Nightingale Wren

When I started this series I assumed it was 3/4 max. 7 books is giving me Zodiac Academy vibes. And that wasn’t a winner for me. When authors like this spread their plot out, it starts to circle the drain quickly. I liked the first book but it took me awhile to get into it. Their writing style is really slow to the point where you feel like the plot is standing still. They need to work w an expert to get their pacing better. The ideas are good. But it’s over for me. Reading a series like this is exhausting. This plot was 4 books max.

Why is no one upset with Ezryn though. I sleep at easy knowing Cas and Day are Rosalina’s mates. But wth happened to Ez? Like his attitude and defeat in the last 200 pages riled me up. I’m also feeling like i don’t trust the authors will be able to deliver an epic story. Now with the books 5,6,7 i feel like a lot of stuff will change. I want to see if they’ll manage it as writers